Shows and launches

Unlike many teenagers, Bernard Loiseau knew from an early age what he wanted to do with his life, and that was cook. At an age when other teenage boys are chasing girls and playing football, he was already an apprentice at the renowned La Maison Troisgros, a restaurant that has had three Michelin stars […]

As regular readers of this blog will know, I travel rather a lot; and one of the things I have learnt from my travels is that you will get more out of almost any trip if you do a little research beforehand. Usually this entails hours sitting in front of the computer, but sometimes the […]

Bordeaux is also one of those names in the world of wine that has become synonymous with a number of things: red wine, excellence, scarcity… and inflated prices. It’s a byword for quality wine, but it’s also a word that encourages annoyingly wine-snobby comments like “oh, yes I can pick up the hint of mint and a flutter of cassis on the nose, it must be from the left bank”.

Walking into the London Wine Fair (LIWF) at the cavernous Excel Centre to explore the hundreds of exhibitors showcasing thousands of wines is always an exhilarating experience – and this year was no exception. Now in its 31st year the LIWF is one of the key events in the world wine calendar and is an ideal place […]

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans together with salt. The resulting thick paste (which is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals) can be used in sauces and spreads, or mixed with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup. Miso is very widely used in […]

Irish food. It’s all potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes, washed down with Guinness, right? Well, no, not really – and the lovely people at Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) are on a mission to dispel that misconception and introduce the world to the wealth of wonderful produce and products that Ireland has to […]